Dangerous Allies // Cato Hadley

Part 11: Helpless

Eve tried her best to hide her limp as she made her way downstream.

The sounds of the flowing water almost made her miss the gentle beep of a silver parachute above her.

Her breath came out heavy and a smile spread over her face as she watched it sail down to the river bank. "Thank you."

She ran to it as fast as she could with her swollen ankle.

She pulled it from the rocky shore and into her lap. Her hands fought to untwisted its silver top as they shook with excitement.

The first thing she saw was a note. She took out the thick card, turning it over in her hand.

You've gained quite the following in One. Put the needle all the way in and press the button.
-Finnick

She placed the note in her pocket and peered into the capsule.

The metal instrument was about the same width as the glass bottles that occasionally washed up on shore, but this didn't have the strange words etched into its side.

She turned it over in her hand, noticing a small glass window on the device's side that showed a yellow liquid. On one end was a button and on the other was a needle.

Her stomach turned at its length. Three inches stared back at her and she looked with wide eyes into the sky.

It was going to hurt.

And hurt it did. She had to work to press the sharp needle fully into her ankle.

She felt tears spring into her eyes as her bone felt like it was on fire.

When she pressed the button the relief was almost instantaneous. The yellow liquid flowed quickly into her ankle and she watched as the vile was refilled with a reddish brown sludge.

The swelling disappeared as the vial topped itself off.

The needle retracted, leaving not even a mark to show it's recent delve into her skin.

The Capital's medicine truly was something to marvel.

She pushed herself upright, not wasting another minute.

She didn't know where the careers went, but she knew they would be back soon.

The safest place for her was the forest, so that's where she went.

The sun was fading into the artificial horizon and Eve climbed a tree to watch it set.

She stayed put as the fake stars littered the sky and crickets chirped softly.

As she looked into the night sky she felt like she was back home, that is, until the anthem started to play.

The faces of those who had fallen appeared one after the other in the dark sky.

She felt a deep sadness as she watched one fade into another. Their lives were gone. Ripped away and for what?

Ethan's face lit up the night sky and Eve felt her heart break in two. He needed her and she wasn't there to save him.

She was a coward hiding in a tree.

*** *** ***

She woke up to heavy footsteps below her.

"I thought you said she wouldn't be able to make it far." Clove hissed sharply in the cold night.

Eve held her breath.

"She must've gotten help." Cato grumbled.

"How did she get more sponsors than us?" Glimmer scoffed. "She has no chance of winning."